Telecommunication circuits are used to connect a communication device at one location to a compatible communication device at a remote location. The communication device can be a telephone, a fax machine, a PC operating through a modem, an automated teller machine and the like. In many instances, because of the nature of the communication device and the form of the data transmitted, a communication circuit having "special" characteristics or specifications is required. These special circuits are normally referred to as being special service circuits.
There are about 150 different kinds of special service circuits, each having a different configuration and each being for different equipment at the ends. Special service circuits are used, for example, for automated teller machines, host-to-host data communications, and even for some kinds of voice circuits. Service on a given special service circuit may be provided by several carriers, as these circuits can cross LATA boundaries. Additionally, functional, geographical and regulatory considerations all contribute to the uniqueness and complexity of Special Service Circuits.
As with any telecommunication circuit, Special Service Circuits fail from time to time. When a customer reports trouble with a circuit, a test is made to determine the cause. In the regional telephone operating companies, special service test personnel use a test system called SARTS (Switched Access Remote Test System).
SARTS provides a data base of circuit configurations and other key information, and in combination with a human interface for accessing circuits, issues test commands and receives measurements. Normally the test equipment is not local to the circuit that is in trouble as it is more economical to make the test from a remotely located centralized location. A test location in Dallas, for example, can test circuits in Houston, or San Antonio, or can access and test circuits that run between Austin and El Paso.
Circuits may run over a wide geographical area and, therefore, test gear is usually made available at several different locations to help a test person localize the trouble. Testing varies in complexity, depending on where and how the test points are wired into a circuit and how the circuit operates.
For example, to decide on a strategy for testing a circuit, it is essential for the test person to know how the circuit is configured. In addition, a test measurement that represents trouble on one kind of circuit or configuration may indicate a normal condition on another circuit. Normally, special services test persons require from six to nine months to complete their training, and much of this time is spent learning about circuit configurations.
Operating in combination with SARTS is a test procedure identified as Auto-Test-2 (AT-2). AT-2 has automated the testing, analysis and disposition of circuit troubles for major circuit types and is used for both maintenance and installation testing. Basically, AT-2 runs a logical series of tests which are appropriate to the circuit type, analyzes the results, and recommends either dispatch, closeout or reference to a test person for further analysis.
Regional telephone operating companies are using equipment such as Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment devices to test and service telecommunications circuits from remote locations. The Intelligent Network Channel Terminating Equipment (NCTE) devices used by the various regional telephone operating companies are made by different manufacturers and have features which are functionally identical, but are activated differently. For example, many intelligent NCTE devices support four tone alignment. But, there are three different protocols for four tone alignment. To further complicate matters, various regional telephone companies have attempted to standardize intelligent NCTE device features and operations to their own internal use without regard to the practices and procedures used by other regional telephone companies. Thus, not only are there several different specifications for intelligent NCTE devices, but various intelligent NCTE device vendors have developed specialized intelligent NCTE device features for individual regional telephone companies. For example, one regional telephone company has a specification that requires the use of a security tone to access the intelligent NCTE device. Another regional telephone company has a specification that calls for a pre-equalizer function. At least three different manufacturers build intelligent NCTE devices that meet both of the above noted specifications as well as specifications which are required by two other regional telephone companies. Additionally, all regional telephone companies have intelligent NCTE devices which, because they are early models, do not meet the current specifications, but are still being used.
Prior to testing and servicing a telecommunications circuit from a remote location, the operating characteristics of the intelligent NCTE device in the telecommunication circuit must be known. But, today, the regional telephone operating companies do not keep records of the manufacturer or the type of the NCTE device which is connected to the various telecommunications circuits. Thus, as there are no records of the type or operating characteristics of the intelligent NCTE device that is in a telecommunication circuit, it is very difficult to access an intelligent NCTE device from a remote location. Clearly, a need exists for determining from a remote location the type of intelligent NCTE device that is in the circuit.